Method for reducing the percentage of nicotine contained in raw tobaccos, intermediary products, and tobacco products ready for use



Patented Oct. 4, 1932 ADOLF WENUSCH, OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA,

ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL-DIREKTION DER OSTERR. TABAKREGIE, AN AUSTRIANGOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT AT VIENNA METHOD FOR REDUCING THE PERCENTAGE OFNIGOTINE- CONTAINED IN RAW TOBACCOS, INTERMEDIARY PRODUCTS, AND TOBACCOPRODUCTS READY FOR USE No Drawing. Application filed December 26, 1930,Serial No. 504,882, and in Austria December 27, 1929.

This invention relates to a process and an apparatus for reducing thepercentage of nicotine contained in raw tobacco, intermediary productsand tobacco products ready for use. In view of the fact that many kindsof tobacco will keep their color very well at high temperatures inoverheated steam, so that their darkening is nearly imperceptible, ithas already been suggested to remove the nicotine by heating the tobaccobymeans of overheated steam passing over .its surface. This processhowever has certain disadvantages, in that the steam at the beginning ofthe process condenses on the tobacco, so as to render the same somewhatmoist. Experiments have shown that if the receptacle containing thetobacco is evenly heated by passing overheated steam through itcondensation of the steam cannot be entirely prevented.

It has further been proposed to pass the overheated steam through thetobacco after the latter has been heated up to a temperature at whichcondensation does not take place, by externally or internally heatingthe apparatus into which the tobacco has been introduced. This process,however, has the drawback that "the heating up goes on far more slowlyand that the advantages of a flowing medium are suspended during a longspace of time, i. 6. during the period of heating up the material. Asknown, these advantages chiefly consist in that the substances extractedfrom the tobacco are carried off by the flowing'medium. In order tocombine the advantages of a continually flowing medium-with the colorpreserving qualities of the overheated steam and to eliminate at thesame time the disadvantages of the tobacco becoming moist to a certaindegree, a method has proved highly satisfactory, which forms the subjectmatter of the invention. and which is described in the following:

Through the tobacco, which is placed in a suitable receptacle and whichis heated either only externally or externally and internally, a heatedcurrent of a non-condensing medium such as air, carbonic acid ornitrogen is passed until the tobacco has reached a temperature at whicha condensation of the overheated steam cannot take place. Thistemperature is in the vicinity of 100 C. Up to this temperature theoxidizing influence of the oxygen contained in-the air is stillnegligibleso that the tobacco can keep its natural color. As soon,however, as the temperature is attained at which condensation cannottake place, the

admission of air is stopped and a current of overheated steam is passedthrough the tobacco, whereby the temperature of the tobacco is furtherincreased until the limit is reached which is required for removing theapparatus may be used whichenables a uniform flow therethrough of anon-condensing medium and thereafter of superheated steam. When treatinglarge quantities of tobacco, a receptacle may be used, into which thetobacco, lying on superimposed pans is introduced.

\Vhat I claim is A process for reducing the percentage of nicotinecontained in raw tobacco, intermedi-,

ary products andtobacco products ready for use, which comprises passingheated air through tobacco until it has reached a temperature ofapproximately 100 C., and then passing superheated steam through thetobacco.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signedmy name.

' ADOLF WENUSCH.

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